Rise of the Equalists
by Pythian Muse
Summary: Set in an AU where Amon is not a waterbender, Korra scrambles to rally her allies to stop the Equalists from taking over the world. Contains slight Makorra.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Amon is not a waterbender, and Korra must face the consequences of what that means for her fight against the Equalists. If she fails to defeat Amon in Republic City, the masked chiblocker will begin equalizing the rest of the bending world, just as he promised.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for any original characters that appear in ****only**** my stories. The rights to the Legend of Korra go to the people who own them.**

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><p>Mako and Korra slowly made their way up the ladder and into the attic of the main tower on Air Temple Island. Mako pushed the wooden trap door open and climbed onto the attic floor, Korra close behind him. He looked around the spacious interior to check for anything suspicious.<p>

"Good, we're all alone up here," he said, turning to close the trap door.

"All we have to do now is wait for Amon to return to the temple. Then, when he's directly below us, we'll smash through the floor and take him out."

"Good plan, Korra. The only hard part is waiting for him to come back. Amon's lieutenant said that they were having a rally at the arena…what if he doesn't show up until later? Maybe we should go to the rally instead."

Korra mulled over Mako's words for a few moments. "No. There'll be a lot more Equalists at the arena then there are here. We're already inside the temple; if we lay low for awhile, we'll have the element of surprise. Besides, this is Amon's new headquarters. He's bound to come back some time, and when he does, he'll have his guard down."

Mako nodded. "I guess you're right. Still, taking Amon down in front of his supporters would be a lot more powerful of a message."

Korra plopped down next to the wall. Leaning against it, she reached onto the top of her head and pulled off the Equalist mask she was wearing. Immediately she felt the refreshingly cool air of the attic against her sweaty face.

"These things do _not_ breathe well! I bet my hair's a mess."

"Your hair looks fine," Mako chuckled, pulling off his own mask. "I'm surprised any Equalist can see with these green lenses. They totally distort my vision. It'll be a lot easier to fight with this off."

"Yeah, I was afraid we'd have to fight Amon's buddy in these when we were spotted down there earlier."

"Yeah, I felt the same, but it looks like the Equalists are getting pretty cocky. Enough to where Hiroshi is giving speeches on the streets. They think you're on the run, but they've got another thing coming." Mako slammed his fist into his palm for emphasis.

Korra grinned at Mako's attempt to boost her confidence, but a rising tide of guilt slowly pulled the smile off her face.

"They've got good reason to be cocky. They took over the entire city without so much as a serious fight. I basically _ran away_. And for what? To regroup with the United Forces and General Iroh? Yeah, that went great. Amon wiped out half the fleet in a single hour, while I looked on helplessly."

"Hey, that's not fair. You tried your best to help, but Hiroshi's flying machines were too powerful. You had no way of knowing. You may be the Avatar, Korra, but you can't be expected to do everything on your own."

"Maybe if I had stayed on Tarlokk's task force, we could have found Amon's base in time to prevent the Equalist revolution. But instead I resisted him, and Republic City ended up fighting itself, rather than the Equalists."

"Korra, you're not serious, right? Tarrlok was an evil man. He was a bloodbender trying to oppress nonbenders. All he did was make Amon's words more true, he turned the city against benders. You saw what he did to those poor people in the Dragon Flats' district. He was going to throw all those people away just for protesting their electricity shutting off. Is stopping Amon worth sacrificing all the good that came from exposing Tarrlok as a bloodbender?"

Korra breathed heavily. "No, you're right. I just…feel so helpless. And Amon took out Tarrlok anyway, not me."

"You rescued Iroh and warned Tenzin's brother Bumi about the flying machines. Now you're laying a trap for Amon. We're going to get through this Korra. We're going to bring down Amon."

Korra smiled warmly at Mako. "Thanks Mako, I really needed the encouragement. When I was at the South Pole…I thought I was unstoppable. I thought I could be the best Avatar of all time. But ever since I came to Republic City, Amon's always been one step ahead of me, running amok and making me feel like the _worst_ Avatar ever. But I can't let that get me down. I'm going to prove to Aang that I can be just as good as he was, by saving the city he founded!"

Mako grinned. "Now that's the Korra I know and l—"

Mako frowned as Korra looked at him in surprise. "Er… the Korra I like."

The two sat in hushed silence awkwardly as a blush spread across Mako's face. After a few minutes of this, Korra decided to break the ice.

"So, about that talk we had the other day…"

"Look Korra, can we not talk about this right now? I'm still in a weird place with Asami, and I don't think it's a good idea to have any distractions before we face Amon."

Korra slowly nodded. "Yeah…I guess that's a good point. We should do that."

Her chin fell to her knees as her body posture dissolved into brooding disappointment. Mako tried his best to ignore Korra's pout. After about an hour or so, the wind outside began to pick up, causing the beams supporting the attic roof to creak and groan. On the wind's shoulders came the faint sound of cheering. Korra's mood turned even sourer, and a pit slowly began to form in her stomach.

"Why do I get the feeling I should have gone to that rally?" she asked, as the feeling in her stomach continued to lurch.

"Don't worry. I know it'll be fine. The rally will be over soon and Amon will be back. We should probably psych ourselves up for the confrontation."

"I guess…"

"If you've got any jitters or second thoughts, now's the time to put them out of your mind."

Korra thought toward what it would be like to actually fight Amon. The mere thought of his mask in her mind caused her to shiver. His face had haunted her dreams for weeks, but it was time to bring Amon's reign of terror over the benders of the city to an end. It was time to stop waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. It was time to stop Amon's chilling voice on the radio from exacerbating her anxieties and fears. She was going to set things right and prove to the city, and the world, that the Avatar was back.

After another hour or so, the looming hum of an airship began to slowly pick up near the temple.

"He's here," Mako pointed out. Korra felt her entire body tense up, as butterflies swarmed inside her. Was she ready for this? Amon had promised to destroy her. He was so sure of it. But Korra couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let down the world. She couldn't let down herself, either. This was an important, pivotal moment for herself as a person _and_ the Avatar.

The whirring sound of a platform lowering stirred Korra from her introspection. She steeled herself for what could very well be the most important battle of her life. Turning to Mako, she said simply, "It's time."

Mako nodded in comprehension and moved to the center of the attic, crouching in a bending stance, ready to pounce when Korra gave the word. A window opening in the room below and the thud of an even gait of booted feet struck a chord somewhere inside Korra's body, and years of training alerted her that the time to spring their trap was now. Instinctively, she lifted herself up and whispered to Mako, "Now."

Mako firebended hard at the floor, causing it to wrench and burst into flames. Korra leapt down the hole it left behind and let out a torrent of fire, knocking down a number of chiblockers. Dropping into a defensive stance, Korra braced herself for a counterattack. Mako soon jumped down from the attic himself, and together they scanned the scene.

About six or seven chiblockers lay squirming on the floor, the lieutenant was propped up against the wall, steadying himself and trying to regain his balance. Amon was low to the ground, knees bent, hands outstretched to dodge and counter anything that Korra might throw next. Before Mako had the chance to knock the lieutenant out for good, to allow him and Korra to focus solely on Amon, the masked revolutionary's gravelly voice snaked its way through the air.

"So, Avatar. We finally meet again. I was so disappointed that you were not able to join us at the rally. I had been so certain that you would try some manner of feeble rescue."

Korra's eyebrow shot up. "What do you mean?"

Amon straightened himself out of his defensive stance and turned his head toward the lieutenant, who smirked back as he joined his leader's side.

"Oh, lieutenant, it appears the Avatar didn't know that we captured some friends of hers. It really _is_ such a shame. I always did hate to bear bad news, even though it is to the Avatar."

"What are you talking about? Are you talking about Bolin and the others?"

The lieutenant laughed, "No. But I'm sure we'll find them eventually. Assuming you two are the only ones here, they must be out there somewhere doing some other important job, right? There's no way they'll succeed."

Korra's eyes narrowed, her left eyelid twitching with rage.

"And our friend Hiroshi is on his way right now to wipe out the rest of your reinforcements before they even have time to arrive." Amon's voice was filled to the brim with smugness. "Your luck truly has run out, Avatar."

"No! How did you know about Bumi's fleet?"

"Simple," interjected the lieutenant. "We intercepted the telegram you sent to the rest of the fleet. Our scout planes picked up their location and relayed it by radio to Mr. Sato."

"It doesn't matter, by the time Hiroshi gets back, we'll have taken you down, Amon."

"Are you sure? I don't think you'll have the morale left to stand, let alone fight when you hear that the world is now blissfully devoid of _airbenders_." Amon was barely able to contain the glee from seeping into his otherwise menacing tone.

Korra's entire body, on the other hand, from head to toe, was consumed in the grip of an icy cold. Her heartbeat slowed to a crawl and she went totally numb. "W-what…?"

"You never asked what friends of yours we captured. The reason I was sorry you missed the rally is because you weren't able to witness me cleanse the last airbenders of their wretched bending. This city, Tenzin and his family, airbending: every trace of Avatar Aang's legacy has been equalized…except you. You, Avatar Korra, are all that remains."

Korra's knees gave and she nearly fell over, had Mako not caught her in time. Hot searing tears flowed steadily down her face, as a horrible moan of disgust escaped her quivering lips. She felt sick; sicker than she had ever felt in her life; cold, empty, devoid of purpose. The person she had come to trust most next to Katara, the person who had been counting on her most, she couldn't even protect. Through mangled sobs, Korra forced out the only response she could. "T-that's not true! It's impossible. They escaped, you lying bastard! We _saw_ them escape."

"Heh. I almost feel sorry for her," admitted the lieutenant, yet the greasy sneer on his face could not conceal his amusement.

"Oh, Avatar. It's not the end of the world, you know," came Amon's jeering consolation. "They're in perfectly good health and completely unharmed. All I did was remove their capacity to use their unnatural powers to oppress the rest of the citizens of Republic City. Once the United Republic has been completely secured, they and the rest of the city's former benders will be released, able to live out their lives as _ordinary_ citizens, just like the rest of us."

"But they were _airbenders_! They were completely peaceful! Tenzin would never have oppressed anyone! He was Tarrlok's most vocal opponent. He was the one fighting most for nonbenders. They may be alive, but you destroyed their culture. Bending is how we identify who we are as people. Taking that away is like destroying a piece of who we are. It's despicable! The airbenders barely survived being wiped out by the Fire Nation, only to have their gifts stolen by some maniac like you."

"Avatar, some day you will realize how painful your words sound to people who aren't a bender like yourself. Why should bending keep airbenders above everything and everyone else? It was their meditative, hermitic lifestyle that left them vulnerable during the Hundred Year War. They cut themselves off, expecting the rest of the population to fend for themselves. Just like benders all over the world do every day. You benders use your so-called "gifts" to secure your position in society, to obtain the highest positions of power, to gratify yourselves with the highest paying jobs, perfectly content to let normal people fly about helplessly like leaves in the wind. Even when a man like Hiroshi Sato rises above the double-standards, the discrimination pervading this society run by benders, he becomes a target for the riffraff who would use their power over others to steal what they cannot have themselves. Your arrogant attitude makes me thoroughly sick to my stomach."

"When will you _learn_ Amon? Benders help people, they protect them! Earthbenders sheltered innocent civilians during the last war, waterbenders kept the Fire Nation fleet at bay. Do you think the Fire Nation could have been stopped if it weren't for benders?"

Amon turned his head slightly, gazing sideways at Korra. "Do you honestly think that war would have even begun had Fire Lord Sozin not used the enhanced firebending of his army to launch his campaign for world domination? Do not delude yourself, Avatar. Earthbenders may shelter Earth Kingdom citizens, but they build high walls to keep them down, waterbenders leverage their invaluable positions to help their tribesmen survive in order to dominate their culture. They kept them isolated from the world. They are a crutch, preventing real progress. Technology has reached a point at which nonbenders can finally live in peace without greedy, oppressive benders taking all the spoils for themselves. And you, Avatar, and all your previous incarnations, have done nothing to allow benders and nonbenders to live together in peace. You came to this city not to help its citizens, but to protect the status quo, to protect the bending oppressors ruling Republic City. The Avatar cannot protect the world from benders; nonbenders must do that for themselves. Your era is over."

Without so much as a warning, Amon catapulted himself headfirst into Korra, driving the wind out of her immediately. Mako rounded on him with a firekick, but Amon deftly ducked and used his foot to knock Mako's supporting leg out from under him. Korra regained her bearings and sent a flurry of firepunches flying at Amon. But her masked foe did a series to skillful turns and pivots that would have done any airbender proud, had there been any left to appreciate such dodging. However, Korra had succeeded in driving Amon against the wall. Before she could press her advantage, though, the lieutenant leapt into action to protect Amon, coming at Korra with a quick series of chops with his electrosticks. Korra was forced to disengage from Amon and do a well-timed back flip out of the lieutenant's range. Popping back on her feet, she remembered that though they were in a wooden room, the temple itself was composed of stone. Widening her stance, she used a quick pulling motion to rip a large stone block from behind the wooden wall, right into the lieutenant, knocking him out.

Mako came back to his feet, ready to distract Amon and prevent him from attacking Korra. He lauched a large fireball towards the Equalist leader, who was able to dodge it easily. Amon's fingers flew out like lightning barely grazing Mako's pressure points on his dominant shoulder and midsection. Korra noticed the commotion to her side, and turned to use another earthbending blast on Amon. She grounded herself firmly, took a stomping foot forward, and thrust her left arm out, sending a boulder crashing through the wall and jettisoning towards Amon. The chiblocker barely had enough time to fall backwards, catching his balance with his hands, his back a few inches from the ground. In this position, solid as a rock, but as helpless as a upside-down table, Mako moved to make a finishing blow, hurtling another blast of fire at the defenseless Amon. As triumph swelled in Korra's chest, it was instantly deflated when Amon's seemingly helpless form flipped like a sideways drill, spinning the fire harmlessly away from him and landing on all fours, a quick leg shooting out from under him to again remove Mako's footing.

Mako was a quick learner, however, and jumped just in time for the kick to miss. Korra launched another boulder at Amon, who grabbed the rock and vaulted over it like a zebragazelle. Before she could earthbend the wall behind Amon to take him by surprise, one of the collapsed Equalists came to, catching Korra's foot with her hand, breaking the Avatar's bending stance in the process.

"The era of tyrannical bending is over!" she cried. Irritated and scared that Amon would turn the tables on Mako, Korra angrily used her caught foot to stomp on the Equalist's goggles, smashing them.

"Shut up! Benders aren't through yet." Turning to see how Mako had fared in the few seconds she was distracted, Korra saw Amon circling Mako like a lionshark, dodging a series of fireblasts. Amon suddenly ducked and rolled across to the other side of Mako. The young firebender pivoted immediately, instincts honed from years of probending, but against a seasoned chiblocker, it was too slow. The back of Amon's left hand caught Mako's counterattack and redirected it towards the roof. Not wasting an instant of momentum, a quick jab to Mako's other shoulder left that arm useless. Korra was about to bend at Amon when the mastermind slipped his leg in between Mako's legs and flipped him over, catching him with one arm and twisting Mako's good arm behind him.

"Let him go! There's no honor in hiding behind one of your enemies like a shield, Amon."

"Oh, you misunderstand my intentions, young Avatar. I have no intention of using your friend here as a shield, merely as leverage. Allow me to demonstrate." And with that, Amon's arms left Mako's side and arm, clutched his shoulders, allowing him to pull himself up on top of Mako. Korra watched in dumbstruck fascination at Amon's gymnastic ability, as her chiblocking enemy balanced himself upside-down on top of Mako's shoulders. Mako too was unable to react in that split second; Amon's vice-like grip on his shoulders somehow rendered him completely immobile. Amon switched shoulders and turned, now face towards Korra, flipped his legs down into Mako's torso, sending Mako crashing into the wall. The force of his kick gave him enough distance to reach Korra. The Avatar grabbed Amon's hands to stop them from making contact, then stuck her leg out at an angle to block a sudden kick from Amon. Switching his footing, Amon lurched forward, running at full speed. Unable to stop him, Korra was forced to backtrack in order to avoid falling over. When her back slammed into the wall opposite Mako, Amon wrenched one hand free of Korra's grip, and jammed it hard into her left side. Korra let out a pained exhale, gritting her teeth in pain as an all-too-familiar numbing sensation spread across the left side of her torso. Seizing all her willpower, Korra tucked her head under Amon's other arm and used her shoulder to knock him away from her. Amon caught himself and did a backturn, swinging a hard backhand into Korra's face. Stunned, Korra was unable to stop Amon from jabbing quickly into her right arm and torso. With a final jab to her right leg, Korra fell over, useless. She still had the use of her left arm, but unable to even prop herself on her knees, it was of little benefit.

Suddenly, she felt herself pulled up off the floor, then roughly put down in a kneeling position, a cold cobra-like grip on the back of her neck holding her in place. Incomprehensible fear tore through Korra's insides, gnawing at every part of her being. The moment she had been dreading for nearly two months was finally upon her. She had lost, and she would now lose her bending, a complete failure as an Avatar. Korra's head fell back lamely, as she stared up at the remorseless mask of the man who had defeated her. Amon raised his hand up above his shoulder, in a position that Korra had seen once before, and many more times besides in her nightmares.

"I told you I would destroy you."

Amon's muscles twisted and coiled, the tension building in his arm like a snake as he prepared to make the strike, when an alarming noise forced him to drop Korra and spin around, startled.

"LET HER GO!"

On his legs again, barely conscious from being thrown around like a ragdoll, Mako had built up enough energy in his body to send one last firebending move at Amon. The Equalist leader may have had reflexes like lightning, but against the real thing, he had only a split second to move, but was caught so unprepared that he found himself unable to.

The bolt of blue electricity caught Amon directly in the chest. Amazingly, one might even say inhumanly, Amon was still steady on his feet, his body vibrating intensely, but still on his feet. Korra watched in astonishment as Amon actually leaned against the blast, forcing his body forward a few inches, before suddenly flying back across the room and crashing into an antique shelf full of priceless Air Nomad pottery. The weight of his body smashed the shelf to pieces, causing the contents to fall on him in a heap.

Overwhelmed with relief, tears filled Korra's eyes. Mako slowly made his way over to Korra.

"Mako, I'm so grateful," lip quivering, Korra was barely able to express her sentiments in words. "I was so scared…you did what even the Avatar couldn't do. I'm so sorry I dragged you into this."

"Korra, don't sweat it. You were amazing. I've never seen anyone fight like you did. But you were only able to use two elements. I'm sure if you had some water with you, you would have kicked that freak's ass."

The tears continued to fall. "Mako, I can't tell you how much you mean to me."

Mako felt his heartbeat accelerate. Somewhere inside him, he was happier than he had ever been, just hearing Korra say that. He smiled down at Korra, and offered her his only good hand. He eventually got her on her feet, though with difficulty.

"We need to get you out of here before more Equalists show up. I'm going to hold you with one arm, can you walk?"

"Not really. Amon took out my other leg. I'll only slow you down."

"Well, it's not like I'm going to leave you here. Maybe we can get into the airship outside. It's probably empty."

"Good thinking."

Mako gradually lugged Korra across the room to the window that the Equalists had converted into a makeshift docking area for the airship.

"When we make it back home Korra…there's a lot I want to say to you," Mako admitted. He hadn't felt like this before and seeing Korra safe, having been able to rescue her from the clutches of her most feared adversary…he hadn't felt so valued or important to any single individual besides his brother as he did to Korra today.

"I think that's a good idea…I have a lot to say to you too," she responded, as cheer slowly returning to her heart. She had lost a lot that day: Tenzin and his family had lost their bending, Korra had lost her self-respect, and who knows what Hiroshi was doing at that moment to Bumi's fleet. But at least she had finally gotten one thing she didn't before, and that was Mako.

Just as Mako was about to set his foot on the disc that would bring him and Korra up to Amon's airship, a familiar twirling sound came from behind them. An Equalist device snapped itself around Mako's feet, making him lose balance. He put as much force as possible on his heels to send himself and Korra falling backwards, so he wouldn't drop her out the window. The low thump of boots on wood, meticulously making their way across the room Mako and Korra had almost escaped, caused both of the benders' hearts to drop. A cold hand wrapped around the back of Mako's neck, wresting him up from the ground.

"I must admit, young firebender: I'm _impressed_. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that."

"How?!" begged a disbelieving Korra. "How did you survive? You were hit directly with _lightning_!"

"Foolish Avatar. You think that bending is the most powerful thing in the world. But I have spent years training my body, carefully mastering the ability to shift my chi and protect my own vital points, shielding them from _any_ bending attack. Your groundless faith in the bending arts has cost you everything. As much as I would like to equalize you right now, I'm afraid your friend requires some _special_ attention, wouldn't you agree? I'll get to you in due course."

Amon roughly put Mako into position, pulling his head back to allow access to Mako's forehead.

"It is almost a shame to take the bending of someone so talented…_almost_."

Korra tried to summon as much movement as her body would allow, but for all her trying, she was too exhausted and hurt to lift herself up. As she watched Amon press his finger to Mako's head, the last spark of hope she had in her chest died. She stretched her arm out in vain, as she watched the love of her life succumb to Amon's power, tears blurring her vision as he did. What she did not expect was the enormous burst of air from her palm, a gust of wind so powerful that it seized Amon by the shoulders and threw him straight through the ceiling and into the attic above. Wide-eyed, Korra looked at her palm, then at the fresh hole in the ceiling.

"I can airbend…?" she asked herself incredulously. Korra clenched her fist, and turned a heated gaze towards Amon, whose head creepily peered over the hole in the ceiling like a crouching wolfspider, ready to pounce once again. "I can airbend!"

"Impossible…" Amon whispered.

Korra braced herself against the wall next to the window and hoisted herself up onto her good leg. Raising her fist up, she hurled blast after blast of air at the ceiling above. She wasn't much of an airbender, but she would bend as best as she knew how. Amon had little experience against airbending, if any, and it was the only element that would get Korra and Mako out of this temple with their bending intact. The ceiling ripped open from the force of Korra's attacks, Amon's helpless grunts and groans from impact clearly audible over the sound of splitting wood and falling debris. Whenever she thought she saw movement from the attic, she launched another volley of air at him.

When Korra thought she had bought herself enough time, she bent down next to Mako, holding his head up.

"Funny," Mako managed. "I thought that I would be the hero, saving the beautiful Avatar from danger. But here you are rescuing me."

Korra smiled. "Thanks, Prince Charming, but this princess can save herself…at least now that I can airbend, haha."

Mako returned Korra's smile. "Korra, I don't think he took my bending. I still feel like I can firebend."

"Really?! That's awesome, Mako! I was crushed when I saw him touch your forehead."

"I guess he didn't have enough time to finish whatever he needed to do…but we don't have any time to lose, we need to get out of here."

Korra looked outside the window, hearing the clacking of Equalist boots on the cobbled courtyard below. _Shit, there goes our only out. They must know we're here. Though to be honest I'm surprised it took them this lo—_

Before Korra could complete her thought, she noticed that the Equalists were running _away_ from the Air Temple, not toward it. Peering out of the window, she saw three ships on the horizon.

"BUMI!" she cried out ecstatically. "Mako, I think we found our way out. If we take the airship, they'll probably just follow us wherever we go, just like they did with Tenzin. If we're getting out of Republic City, it's by sea."

"If you say so, but how are we going to get down? There's bound to be Equalists at the base of the tower, and you and I can barely move, much less fight."

Korra slowly started to get nervous, thinking of the masked menace who would undoubtedly regain consciousness any minute. Then suddenly she had an idea. Turning towards Mako, she asked, "Mako, do you trust me?"

"Do I what?"

"I said, do you trust me?"

"Well, considering how I feel like you're about to do something stupid with airbending, I'm going to have to say n-AHHHHH!"

Korra had grabbed Mako and flung both of them out the window, and they were now falling rather rapidly towards the ground below.

"Korra, what the hell were you thinking?"

"To be honest, not much. Now hold tight!"

Korra threw out her arm and sent as large a blast of air as she could muster, slowing the rate of their descent, but not as much as she had hoped. Physics and Korra quickly became reacquainted, as did Korra with the ground. The two of them came down hard into the bushes, but Korra's airbending had broken their fall for the most part.

"Korra, is it too early to break up with you?" Mako groaned from next to Korra.

"No, silly, you have to date me first, _then_ you can break up with me. Not that I'd let you! Now come on, we've got to get to the ship."

The island was in turmoil; Equalists swarmed to defend it from the three ships that had now aligned themselves parallel to the land. Firebenders were sending continuous volleys of fire at the hapless chiblockers. United Forces soldiers had begun landing on the island, and were in a desperate fight with their Equalist foes. In the midst of the chaos, three Equalists came running towards Korra, but she knocked them flat with her airbending.

"I am really digging this new element," she declared to Mako, who only nodded vaguely, more interested in the heated battle unfolding in front of them. One of the soldiers noticed the airbending and turned towards them.

"Korra! I'm so relieved to see you." A man with wild brown hair in a uniform like Iroh's came running up, escorted by two earthbenders and a firebender. The man's face looked as happy and innocent as a puppy.

"You must be Bumi!"

"Yeah, I came as fast as I could. We had a little trouble with some of those loony flying contraptions, but there weren't as many as we were expecting."

"Asami and the others must have grounded the rest of their machines."

"Is Tenzin with them?"

Korra's heart sank. "I'm sorry, Bumi…Tenzin and the others…didn't make it. Amon captured them and took their bending away. I didn't even know about it until it was too late."

Bumi's face fell faster than Bolin's when he found out he had missed breakfast. His eyes closed as tears peaked out from under his lids.

"Tenzin was dad's only hope of restoring his lost culture…and now that's gone." Bumi's face clenched and he wiped the tears from his eyes. With a renewed courage and determination that surprised Korra, he looked her straight in the face. "I can't let personal feelings get in the way of duty! I'm under strict orders from General Iroh to escort the Avatar to safety. And the Avatar is you! So let's _get the hell out of here_! I'll find Tenzin and my nieces and nephews later. This way!"

Bumi and the firebending soldier put Korra's arms around their shoulder and carried her towards the beach, while the earthbenders took Mako. Other soldiers provided cover for them as they made their way down to the shore. Once they were in the landing rafts, Bumi bellowed to the oarsmen. "Alright, troops! This is a special rescue operation! We're talking serious Code Blueberry Spicecake stuff here, so let's get moving!"

The sailors rolled their eyes at Bumi's eccentricity and pushed off the beach, manning the oars and taking Korra towards Bumi's ship as fast as possible.

From a window high atop the tower of Air Temple Island, a hateful gaze scanned the tumultuous battle below, then panned over to see the Avatar getting farther and farther from his grasp. A fist clenched uncharacteristically in anger was enough to alert the lieutenant to the fact that his normally calm and collected boss was seriously teed off.

"Should we send the airships after her?"

"No," Amon answered placidly, slowly recomposing himself. "We need every available resource to find Hiroshi and restore the airfields to functionality. If Commander Bumi is here, then that means Hiroshi failed to take out the Republic fleet…"

"Meaning his hangers were located by the Avatar's friends."

"Precisely. We need to brace ourselves for the next wave of reinforcements that the Avatar might find to send against us. We must accelerate production of the mechatanks and biplanes. If we are to consolidate our gains and expand our revolution to the other benders of the world, we must better equip ourselves with the means to defend our newfound equality."

"And the Avatar?"

"She is no longer our concern…for the moment. Harmonic Convergence is only a few months away, after all."

"Right, I had forgotten. Do you think this spirit friend of yours will be able to take on the Avatar, then?"

From under his mask, a grim smile of satisfaction settled itself on Amon's lips.

"Absolutely."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for any original characters that appear in only my stories. The rights to the Legend of Korra go to the people who own them.**

* * *

><p>Leaping through the door, Chao Ci raced into his living room, having little time to rest from the long commute home. Turning on the radio, he collapsed in his favorite arm chair and called for his family to join him.<p>

"Liying! Kids! The speech is about to start, hurry up!"

The rolling thunder of Chao's young offspring hurdling down the stairs rocked the house. Chao's son, Chao Li, sat in the floor on the rug next to the fireplace. Ri, Chao's daughter, ran up to her father, pulling on his pant leg. The older Chao reached down and hoisted the little lotus blossom, stuffed rabbit in hand, onto his leg. Liying, Chao's wife, emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands on a rag. Bending over to give her husband a kiss, she welcomed him home and took the chair opposite him, reaching into a nearby basket for her knitting supplies.

An anxious Chao checked the clock hung up on the wall.

"It should be any minute now…"

Suddenly, the dull buzz of the radio suddenly came to an abrupt halt, as their beloved leader's voice echoed chillingly through the living room.

"Greetings, citizens of the United Republic. I am happy for you to join me this evening for our little fireside chat. As I informed you a few nights ago, the Avatar failed in her attempt on my life, and barely escaped our righteous vengeance, were it not for the unfortunate assistance of the fleeting remnants of the previous regime's bending hordes. Now, perhaps you are wondering, 'Amon, what is next for the Revolution? Will we be safe from bending reprisals?' Well, I am happy to tell you that with the Avatar running with her tail between her legs, no nation will be confident to challenge our new society based on equality and prosperity for all. Not until they have assessed our true strength. But, we will not give them that chance. Just as the bending tyrants of the Council were unaware of our real numbers, of the great technology at our disposal, the great cunning of nonbenders will keep the ignorant bending tyrants of the other nations guessing. As we speak, an attempt to rescue Hiroshi Sato, hero of our Revolution, captured audaciously and ignominiously by the retreating Avatar, is already under way. Our magnificent city, remade in the image of equality, will shine as a beacon for all the oppressed nonbenders of the world, and we will unite and together, finally achieve complete equality! Thank you for joining me on this joyous occasion; be sure to tune in tomorrow night, for a report by my lieutenant on rising employment numbers. Long live the Revolution!"

With tears in his eyes, Chao clasped Liying's hand in ecstatic enthusiasm. Chao's grandfather had been cut down by a ruthless earthbending bandit nearly 30 years prior. Liying's family had been harassed into debt by the Agni Kais, who forced them to live in tenement apartments with horrible living conditions. About ten years ago, Liying and Chao married, and promised to provide an environment for their family that was as free of bending as possible. They strictly prohibited their son, an enthusiastic sports fan, from listening to probending matches on the radio, encouraging him instead to listen to races held in the Satomobile Grand Prix Racing Track, an event in which only nonbenders participate. While they had not joined the Equalists out of fear of the bending establishment, now that Amon had cleansed Republic City of benders, they could finally show their support. All the neighbors felt the same way. Ever since Chao's bender boss had fled Republic City for the Fire Nation, along with most of the bending employees, Chao had been promoted twice in one week by their new nonbending manager, and his wages had increased significantly. His family had never been happier, or more financially secure, and they felt personally indebted to Amon, their savior and beloved leader.

"Daddy, why do benders hate us so much?"

"Because, son, we don't have their abilities. They're stronger than us and think that makes them better. But they're wrong. They're nothing but bullies. And you know what happens to bullies at your school, right, Li?"

"Yeah! Bullies get punished!"

"Exactly. Think of Amon as the city's principal. And he just expelled all the bad apples…"

"Clever, dear."

"Thank you, sweetie," Chao said, kissing his wife as thanks.

Things were certainly looking up for the Chaos.

* * *

><p>Half way across town, in a seedy entertainment district, was a down-on-her-luck, former chief of police whose position couldn't be more diametrically opposed to that of the Chaos.<p>

Lin Beifong had just had to endure the agonizing ordeal of listening to the very man who had stolen her bending from her gloat over the radio. If _Lao's Drunken Baboonrat_ wasn't one of the few bars in town where she wouldn't be recognized, she would have left the moment she had heard the radio click on. Everywhere Lin went these days, signs of her failure as the former chief of police haunted her. Lin may not have been chief when the Equalists launched their coup, but she was still responsible for allowing them to build up and amass so much support. The throbbing shame of having allowed her mother's legacy fall into the gutter, along with Lin's very career and self-respect, ached in her like nothing had since Tenzin had abandoned her more than a decade ago.

_Hmph. Tenzin._ Even when she had sacrificed herself for the man she once had loved, to protect him, to save the family he had left her in order to start, even _that_ had been wasted. Amon had completely destroyed her in every way. She was useless now: defeated, spent, and completely empty. No matter how much time she spent in dinky bars like this one, nothing seemed to fill in the gaping void in her soul, ripped into her by the colossal failure she had suffered. Wherever the Avatar was now, Lin was sure Korra felt pretty similar.

Lin tipped her glass up in the air, as a silent salute in the Avatar's honor. "Here's looking at you, kid," she said without energy, before she emptied the contents of her glass.

The bell hanging above the bar's main entrance rang as the wooden door was pushed open. Out of lazy curiosity, Lin allowed her eyes to shift in the door's direction. An unusually well-groomed, middle-aged couple wearing long, expensive-looking coats, no doubt intended to prevent them from looking out-of-place (however ineffectively), came awkwardly through the door, looking around like a pair of newborn gorilladeer walking for the first time through the meadow. Clearly, they had never been in a bar before. If Lin had a sense of humor, heck, if she was even in a position to have one at this time in her life, she would have laughed. But she didn't. Lin idly returned to the bartender to ask for another round for herself.

As she stared vacantly into the empty glass now in her hands, she vaguely processed the sound of two chairs being pulled out next to her at the bar. _Great, of all the places for those stupid rich folks to sit, they choose to sit next to the grumpy, washed-out looking lady at the end of the bar avoiding all eye contact. What a great day I'm having…_

The bartender lay Lin's drink in front of her, which she quickly used to try and ignore the oppressively snobby presence of the annoying couple sitting next to her. Even when they were quiet, they were annoying. _What, did they come to celebrate with the Equalist rabble? Come to look at the common folk and feel what it's like to be them for a night? How nice. Rich people make me sick._

Next to her, the man spoke up to get the bartender's attention. "Yes, bartender? My wife and I will have two kale martinis, with a lime twist."

Lin's eyes rolled so fast she thought they might fall out of her head.

"Uh…we don't serve those kinds of drinks here."

The wife interjected, smug pervading her every word. "What about a raspberry Ba Sing Se cocktail, with a lemon?"

"Lady, if you want that kind of thing, you should check one of the hotels near Sokka Square or Kyoshi Boulevard…or wait, I guess they renamed those didn't they…was it, Sato Avenue or Chiblocker Road?…oh well, you know where it is."

The unimpressive, watered-down voice of the husband piped up again. "Um, well, how about you just give us whatever's popular tonight?"

"Two 'My Cabbages!', on the rocks, coming right up."

As soon as the bartender had left, the wife chimed back in. "Ugh, would you look at all these annoying Equalists? I mean, did we get the short straw when we picked this place or what?"

Lin found it odd that this woman was whispering fairly loudly, just enough for Lin to hear. And there was a certain snarky quality in her voice that sounded familiar…almost…hereditary.

"Yes, dear," came the monotonous, overly loud and poorly acted out line from the husband. "IT'S ALMOST AS IF WE WALKED INTO AN EQUALIST RALLY."

Clearly, this was indeed just an act to get Lin's attention. But these two were so conspicuous (especially the husband) that Lin's only entertainment tonight was likely going to be seeing how far these two idiots would go before attempting to talk to Lin directly.

"Shut up, Baatar, you're too loud! You'll blow our cover," the wife hissed.

From all the annoying postcards and handwritten letters Lin had been sent over the years and never opened, the name Baatar definitely stood out. She had at least read the front of those letters to know who had sent them, before throwing them away. And that name in particular stood out to her because this was the name of the very man who had married her obnoxious younger sister who she hadn't spoken to in nearly thirty years.

Turning around in mild shock, Lin looked on astonished to see the visibly aged, but still recognizable, face of her sister Suyin Beifong, who had sat right next to her and was currently eyeing her sideways to see if she had caught on to her and Baatar's little practical joke.

"…Su?"

"Hello, Lin," Su said smiling. "It's been awhile, huh?"

After thirty years and the end of her career, Su and her husband, the few people in the whole world she could actually call family, were the last people she had expected to meet in the middle of the dirtiest, most run-down bar in all of Republic City, barely a week after Amon had crushed all his opposition.

"Su, I…I don't what to say," she ended flatly and without emotion. There was a small spark of hope and relief that had emerged in Lin when she saw her sister, but after all that had happened between them 30 years ago…she still wasn't willing to let it go. And she definitely wouldn't give Su the satisfaction of seeing Lin Beifong showing gratitude.

Su laughed. "Well, I'm happy to see you too."

Lin scoffed in disinterest.

"What are you doing here?" Lin asked, even though she already knew the answer. "Aren't you afraid Amon will take your bending away? Like he did with m—"

When Lin stopped abruptly, unable to complete her sentence, Su smiled sympathetically. "I already know Amon took your bending away, Lin. That's why Baatar and I came to get you. To bring you to Zaofu, where you'll be with your family. Where you'll be safe."

Lin's eyes narrowed as she concentrated on a piece of peeling wallpaper behind the bar. _Family, huh? I've never been part of one of those. Everyone has turned their back on me, so why should I go back to my "family," now?_

_But they're here now, aren't they?_ said another voice in Lin's head. Grasping her glass so hard that it almost shattered, Lin finally said, "What's the point? I'm useless to you. I've got no bending. Might as well stay here with all my nonbending comrades."

Su's smile dropped as she reflected the sarcasm in Lin's voice; it was sarcasm that was directed at Su, but somehow seemed to be more of a self-criticism than anything else.

"Lin, I don't care if you're a bender, nonbender, or a platypus bear. You're my sister, and I love you. Whether you like it or not, I'm bringing you home."

Su's words hit the emotionally vulnerable Lin like a ton of bricks she could no longer bend away. They were words that bypassed all of Lin's insecurities and hit her right where it hurt. It was unnerving and comforting all at once. And she didn't know whether she wanted to punch her sister, or embrace her. It certainly wasn't going to be the latter…

"…you really want to bring me back to Zaofu? I don't need to be rescued by you."

"Of course not, but you'll be much better off surrounded by family than you will by chiblockers here in Republic City. Whatever you feel about me Lin, whatever reservations you may have because of what happened in the past, please, from a woman to her sister, Lin, put it behind you. Come home with us."

With a resignated sigh, Lin slowly plopped her glass back on the bar and stood up. "Fine, but you better not try to feed me anything made of kale."

Su broke out into a grin that Lin felt didn't really fit the situation. _Does bringing me back with her really mean that much to her? Why am I so important? I feel like I'm missing something here…but maybe in Zaofu I'll finally find it. Or not. Yeah, probably not._

"Alright, stop smiling like a moron and let's get going."

The trek out of town, carefully avoiding any chiblocker patrols, was long and tedious. About two hours later, they finally made it into the mountains, where Su had landed her airship. Lin was surprised to see that it had been covered in tree limbs to disguise its location. _Hm…I guess Su's not a total idiot after all._

When Su and Baatar approached the ship, the doors opened and a ramp lowered itself to the ground. Immediately, three armored guards from Zaofu's security forces emerged to greet Su in person. In the forefront of this group was a tall, impressive woman with a ponytail and a mole under her left eye.

"Welcome back, Suyin. We're relieved to see you back safely…I still wish you had let me escort you into the city."

"Oh, you worry way too much! Besides, I had Baatar with me."

"But, sweetie, you know I can't do anything," Baatar remarked, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. The other Zaofu metalbenders had a good chuckle at his expense. Su turned presently to Lin.

"Lin," she said, pointing to the guard with the mole. "This is the head of my security forces, Kuvira. I've raised her ever since she was small; she's practically my adopted daughter."

"It's an honor to meet you, Lin Beifong. I've looked up to you ever since I was young. To actually get to speak to you like this…it's truly a pleasure. Su has told us all so much about you."

"Hmph. I bet she did."

"Oh, Lin, don't be like that. Whatever may have happened recently, your leadership of the Metalbending Police of Republic City is almost legendary. You're a hero in Zaofu."

"Terrific," Lin quipped, rolling her eyes. "Now let's get going."

"Alright, _fine_. Kuvira, fire up the engines and set a course for Ba Sing Se."

"Yes, ma'am," Kuvira replied officiously and spun on her heel and marched with an air of importance back onto the airship, followed closely by her squad.

As Su was about to board the ship, Lin caught her arm sharply, glaring at her suspiciously. "What's going on? You told me we were going to Zaofu!"

"And we are, Lin, calm down. But first we have to stop at Ba Sing Se. On our way to get you, we received an urgent radio message. Apparently, the Earth Queen is calling an emergency meeting of all the regional leaders of the Earth Kingdom to discuss how best to respond to the Equalists."

Lin blinked. "That's…an unusually tactful move for her…" she observed.

"True; but the Earth Queen doesn't really have that much authority outside Ba Sing Se. So she has to rely on the provincial leadership to help her in times of crisis."

"Hm…and you're going?"

"Well, it's not like I enjoy going to Ba Sing Se, _or_ seeing the Earth Queen. But if it'll help us reach a diplomatic solution to this mess, I feel I need to do my best to make it work."

"You don't seriously think Amon can be reasoned with, do you?"

"No…but I don't think waging a war on the Equalists is going to help things either. The Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se is already in turmoil. The Dai Li have completely sealed it off from the rest of the city."

"Great. This is going to be a wonderful start to my vacation."

"Your _vacation_?" Su inquired in amusement.

"Sure, what else do you call it when you're not at work?"

Su laughed a deep, husky laugh. "Honestly, Lin, you have a one track mind. I think you made a better chief of police than mom ever could have been. Let's get going."

"Yeah, sure."

With that, the two sisters boarded the airship, embarking on the enigmatic first steps of a mysterious new adventure.

* * *

><p>Hundreds of miles away, just north of the United Republic, Avatar Korra and her friends were onboard the <em>King Bumi<em>, commanded by no less than the aptly named Commander Bumi himself. They had been sailing for days, and had just picked up Iroh, Asami, and Bolin, along with an unexpected passenger: Hiroshi Sato. The Equalist scientist was currently in the brig, reflecting on his place in the Universe. The Avatar had been staring passively at the ocean for the past few hours, trying to think of what to do next. Iroh had suggested going to the Fire Nation, but they had just received a radio message from Fire Lord Izumi that informed them that she would not allow the Avatar to violate Fire Nation neutrality in the Equalist conflict by giving her passage through their waters. Dispirited that his own mother would turn her back on the Avatar, Iroh had confined himself to Bumi's quarters, unable to even look Korra in the eye. The two commanders were frantically trying to come up with a new plan to regroup.

Mako had been Korra's only company. Asami was busy sulking over her father's betrayal and deception. Mako, still guilty on the way things had ended between them (and unable to officially break up with her), had left the task of cheering her up to Bolin, who was arguably more capable at this sort of thing, especially with the help of Pabu.

"How're you holding up?" Mako asked.

"As good as I can, I guess," Korra lamented with a sigh. "I just wish I knew what to do. If only I could contact my past lives…or Tenzin. Tenzin would know what to do."

Korra's head slumped into her arms as she leaned on the railing of the bow, staring at the churning waves below, thrown carelessly askew in the wake of the ship. Tenzin's fate, and the fate of his family, had been gnawing at Korra ever since her fight with Amon. She had thrown up several times, which she tried to pass off as seasickness, though Mako alone knew better. She cried every night before she went to bed, and couldn't get Tenzin's calm, wise, smiling face out of her head. She had let him down in the worst possible way, and she would never be able to face him again.

Mako had given up trying to encourage Korra. The more days passed since their bout with Amon, the gloomier the situation looked. Frankly, his encouragement sounded hollow in light of all that happened. But he got the sense that just standing with Korra and sharing in her sorrow was help enough. And for Korra, it was.

Just like it wasn't the right time to break up officially with Asami, Mako also felt it wasn't the right time to start anything with Korra. Everyone's emotions were still raw, and Korra was too vulnerable. But he couldn't stop thinking about her, and just wanted to see her look happy again. He elected finally to simply offer possible suggestions for Korra's next move.

"You could always go to the Earth Kingdom. I'm sure they won't stay neutral towards the Equalists."

"I've never been to the Earth Kingdom before…do you think the Earth Queen is friendly?"

"I don't know…I've never really read up much on the Earth Kingdom."

"Didn't your father live in Ba Sing Se?"

"Yeah but, I don't know. He never really talked about it much, I guess. I don't really remember it that well anyway."

Korra received a painful reminder of what eventually happened to Mako's father.

"Sorry…I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, that's okay, Korra. I like thinking about him. My dad was a great man…you would have liked him."

"I bet," Korra responded with a smile. "What was he like?"

Mako looked out toward the sunset, deep in thought, like he was trying to find a dusty book in the back of his mind. He reflexively clutched the red scarf wrapped around his neck.

"He was…kind. And supportive…warmhearted…and very generous. Sort of like I thought Hiroshi was, I guess, but…y'know…not a secret Equalist."

"Sort of a weird question, but…did you see Hiroshi as a sort of father figure?"

"I dunno. Maybe. I'd like to think I'm past the point in my life where I look for father figures to take my dad's place. But you're right; when I first met Hiroshi I felt like someone cared about me, even though I was poor and…rough around the edges, I guess?"

"I know what you mean…I've had nothing _but_ authority figures in my life, but I never felt like they really appreciated me, except Katara or my mom I guess. Being in that sort of environment…it's sort of stifling, to be honest."

"I guess it's just about finding the proper balance, huh?"

"Yeah…"

Korra glanced up at Mako, looking into his alluring gold eyes. A sudden impulse came into her mind just then to lean up and kiss him, when a sailor bellowed over the loudspeaker.

"Five ships, bearing down from the North at 30 knots."

Bumi burst from his quarters, looking mildly disheveled. "Colors?"

"It appears to be…Water Tribe, sir."

"Holy smokes! This is our lucky day. Get them on the radio, pronto!"

"Yes, sir."

Korra's heart lifted up. Why didn't she ask the Water Tribe for help? She had nearly forgotten that she was technically Water Tribe royalty, and that her uncle was the Chief of the Water Tribe! _Wow, Korra. Where have you been?_

Korra and Mako flew up the metal staircase leading up to the bridge. Iroh, Bumi, Asami and Bolin were already there, leaning over the radio console, when they finally reached the top of the stairs.

"This is Commander Iroh of the United Forces onboard the _King Bumi_. Water Tribe ship, do you read me?"

After a few seconds, a response came in.

"This is Captain Botan of the _Penguin Squid_. We read you loud and clear. Are you in distress?"

"Negative, _Penguin Squid_. We are fleeing Equalists, however, and are currently carrying the Avatar and have the recently apprehended, high level Equalist leader Hiroshi Sato. Can you provide escort to the Northern Water Tribe?"

Korra and the rest of the group listened with bated breath while there was a small delay on the other end. Suddenly, the radio crackled back to life.

"Attention, United Forces," came a crisp and commanding voice Korra knew well. "This is Chief Unalaq of the Water Tribe. I have come looking for my niece, Avatar Korra. If you are in the company of the Avatar, I request that you drop anchor immediately and allow us to board your ship and meet her in person."

Iroh looked over to Bumi, who shrugged indifferently.

"Very well, Chief Unalaq. We will acquiesce. Dropping anchor now."

After about 15 minutes, the majestic, handcrafted engravings of the Water Tribe vessels came clearly into view. The lead ship pulled right alongside Bumi's ship and a long plank slowly inched out, connecting the two. An entourage of Water Tribe troops crossed the plank and formed two parallel lines to prepare for Unalaq to board.

After a few minutes, a group of serious-looking people trailing behind Unalaq crossed the plank onto the _King Bumi_.

Korra ran up and hugged her uncle. "Uncle Unalaq, I'm so glad to see you," she admitted, tears in her eyes. "I've felt so helpless…it's good to see family after all this time on my own."

Unalaq patted Korra's back tenderly. "I understand Korra; as soon as I heard what happened in Republic City, I raced as fast as I could to find you. Whatever you've been through, you can rest easy now that I am here to protect you."

Iroh perked up. "Actually, Chief Unalaq, we were already escorting the Avatar. We were hoping to use either your city or the Earth Kingdom to plan our next move to rally the Avatar's allies against the Equalists."

Unalaq sneered at Iroh. "Nonsense. Staying with your rabble will achieve nothing. Korra may be the Avatar, but she is also Water Tribe, not to mention family. She has had a trying time these past few weeks, and only I can offer the protection and support she needs."

Iroh fumed, but didn't really know how to respond, he simply stared at Korra forcefully, hoping she could talk her Uncle around.

"Uh…Uncle Unalaq, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if Iroh came with us. I mean, it never hurts to have enough ships, right?"

"I'm sorry, Korra, but it's out of the question. These United Republic vagabonds are a distraction and a hindrance to what needs to be done."

Korra poked her tongue into her cheek, unsure of what to say next. Unalaq seemed to be particularly adamant.

"Korra, I know you've had a rough time. But it's time that we concentrate on the hard work ahead. I have an important task that only the Avatar can accomplish."

"Really?" Korra asked in surprise. "What is it?"

Unalaq's eyes gazed disapprovingly at Iroh and Bumi.

"Um, guys? Can you, er…give my Uncle and me a chance to talk about…important…Water Tribe matters?"

Bumi walked away quickly like Unalaq might give him a nasty rash, and Iroh slowly backed away giving Unalaq his best impression of an angry Azula.

"So, Uncle. What is it?"

"I'm sorry for the secrecy, Korra, but as you know, these are troubled times. The Equalists will eventually try to take the bending away from the Water Tribe. Without waterbending, our entire culture, our civilization, our very way of life would be in turmoil. Without the skills of our benders, the Water Tribe will be at a distinct disadvantage. That is why I need your help to fortify the Water Tribe against a potential incursion by Amon."

"How exactly do you want me to do that?"

Unalaq turned towards the sea and gazed over it philosophically. He walked casually to the rail of the ship, and Korra followed. When he was sure no one was within earshot, Unalaq continued.

"There is an ancient portal, Korra, in the North. It connects this world to that of the Spirits."

Korra's eyes widened. "Wow! No way…I had no idea."

"Yes…it is a secret that has historically been known to only a few. I may be one of the only ones in the world today who knows of its existence."

"That's incredible. I can't believe none of the other Avatar's ever knew about it."

There was a slight glint in Unalaq's eyes, as he peered back to Korra.

"Yes…it is indeed a shame. But there is also another portal at the South Pole, as well. Opening both of these portals will allow our Tribe to travel from the North to the South, in a matter of seconds. Only this will allow our tribes to be united; once united, we can stand firm against the Equalists."

Korra thought long and hard for several moments. "Well…I haven't had much luck with any other plans. If I can help my tribe and maybe connect to my spiritual side, you can count me in!"

A wide grin spread across Unalaq's normally stoic face. "That's great news, Korra. I'm confident that you will achieve the spiritual balance the Water Tribe needs to renew our civilization and prepare for the road ahead. There is…of course…one other thing. As I said earlier, this is a strictly Water Tribe matter, so I'm afraid you'll have to…" Unalaq waved dismissively. "Dismiss these riffraff you've accumulated. They're useless to you now anyway. Their morale has plummeted in the past week, and will be little protection anyway."

Korra frowned sadly. "But…they've done so much for me. It seems kind of rude to just cast them aside."

"Korra, as the Avatar, you must do what is necessary to bring balance to the world. Avatar Aang kept only those who were capable at his side. Those who were unable to help him restore balance were left behind. If you wish to achieve what he achieved…you must learn to part ways from those who only weaken you."

Fidgeting furtively for a moment, Korra finally agreed. She had tried doing things her own way, and that led to Amon's victory in Republic City. Perhaps if she wanted to regain her honor, she should start listening to her mentors. Unalaq, in particular, seemed to have a lot more faith than others did. Even after she had lost to Amon, he still believed in her. "Alright, Uncle. I trust your judgment. I'll ask them to rendezvous with the Fire Nation. If I go with you, they can enter the Fire Nation and be protected by Fire Lord Izumi."

Unalaq patted Korra on the shoulder. "Excellent. You see? Everything will work out for the best anyway. Besides, the Fire Nation would avail you little. They do not understand how to live in balance with the Spirits. If you want to learn to embrace your own spiritual powers, and master them to defeat Amon, it can only be in the Northern Water Tribe, where we live in perfect harmony with the spirits."

Korra lifted her arms up and grasped her fists tightly, barely containing her enthusiasm. "I don't know what to say, Uncle. I feel invigorated! I feel like I'm on the cusp of something new and exciting."

Unalaq smiled knowingly. "Yes…I believe you are."

As Korra bid farewell to Iroh and Bumi, the rest of the group moved onto Unalaq's ship. They didn't have much luggage, so it was a fairly painless process. Asami was simply glad to be away from her father.

While Mako and Asami searched for some food, Bolin was shown to his own quarters by a young waterbender in fisherman garb. Afterwards, the young man returned to give him some blankets.

"You'll need those. The ship's pretty cold anyway, but once we get up north, you'll _really_ need them!"

Bolin laughed. "Thanks! Mr. um…."

"Oh! I'm so sorry," said the young man, laughing. "My name is Wakota."

"Nice to meet you, Wakota. I've never been to the Water Tribe before. I'm sort of excited!"

"It's great, you'll love it!" said Wakota, brimming with energy.

"Hey, you don't look like the other guys on this ship. Where's your uniform?"

"Oh…I'm a fisherman. I was fishing with some other guys off the coast of the United Republic when some Equalists sank our fishing boat."

Bolin sighed. "Yeah…they tend to do that."

"Anyway, it was a close call, but luckily Chief Unalaq was nearby to rescue us."

"Wow, that's crazy! I've actually seen Amon personally, you know."

Wakota's eyes became as wide as dinner plates.

"No way…that's so scary."

"Yeah. I pretty much wet myself…don't tell Mako I said that. In fact, just don't repeat that to anyone."

The young man laughed. "Wow, I thought your brother was cute, but you're pretty adorable yourself, haha."

Bolin blushed, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Wakota blanched.

"I didn't say that out loud, did I…?"

Bolin nodded. "Yeah…you did."

Wakota hid his face in embarrassment. "Ah! I'm so sorry. I've made things awkward. Just forget I said anything."

With that, Wakota ran away at an incredibly fast pace, leaving Bolin rather flustered.

A little while later, Mako and Asami came into the room with some food to have a small lunch.

"Hey, Mako, guess what. We haven't even gotten to the Water Tribe yet, and the beauties are already falling for me. What do you think of that, huh? Mr. Macho Mako?"

"Hm…that fisherman guy, huh?"

Bolin blushed. He hadn't thought his brother would find out that it was a guy who flirted with him, but then again, now that he thought about it, Korra and Asami were likely the only women on the ship.

"Y-yeah…how'd you know?"

"I noticed him checking you out when we walked on board. He's pretty cute. I approve."

"Hey! It's not like we're dating or anything! Gosh, Mako, you're so embarrassing."

"Haha, whatever bro. Always said there was a reason you had no luck with the ladies."

Bolin rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Hm…maybe you're right."

Asami chuckled ironically. "Well, Mako, maybe you should consider dating a guy, maybe you'd treat him better than you treated me."

"Ouch, Asami. Too soon…besides, I doubt I'd ever meet a guy as great as you or Korra."

Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, Prince Wu sneezed.

Meanwhile, on deck, Unalaq was glancing triumphantly at the receding view of the departing United Forces ships. Chuckling darkly to himself, he turned to Korra, who seemed rather sad in comparison. Unalaq placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"I know this was a hard decision, Korra. But it was the right one. Now it is time to put it behind you and begin your new training. I have great plans for you."


End file.
